Citation

Seidl S, Hausmann R, Neisser J, Janisch HD, Betz P. Int. J. Legal Med. 2007; 121(4): 281-285.

Affiliation

Institute for Forensic Medicine, University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsstrasse 22, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. stephan.seidl@recht.med.uni-erlangen.de

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00414-006-0109-7

PMID

16821053

Abstract

The severity and duration of cognitive performance capacity deficits after intravenous administration of propofol were determined using the validated psychological test procedure syndrome short test (SKT), a simple reaction test and original driving licence exam questions. The test battery was performed before, immediately after, as well as 1 and 2 h after propofol administration in 23 persons. Immediately after propofol anaesthesia, six individuals had a slight performance loss, and four subjects showed mild deficits, consistent with medium organic neuropsychologic disorder or dementia. The status of the subjects rapidly changed for the better, and 2 h after propofol anaesthesia, only one person (4%) showed slight deficits of memory and attention. Therefore, it is suggested that patients refrain from any participation in road traffic for at least 2 h after propofol anaesthesia. Driving a car should not be admitted until an interval of 6 h has elapsed.

Language: en